Book review - Back to the Bright Before

 

Title: Back to the Bright Before

Author: Katherin Nolte

Genre: magical realism

Similar books: Looking for True by Tricia Springstubb

                      The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart

Rating:

 

I'm not fully sure about this one

Summary (provided by publisher): When eleven-year-old Pet Martin’s dad falls from a ladder on their family farm, it isn’t just his body that crashes to the ground. So does every hope her family had for the future. Money is scarce, and Pet’s mom is bone-tired from waiting tables at the local diner, and even with the extra hours, it’s not enough for a third surgery for Pet’s dad. Her five-year-old brother, Simon, now refuses to say anything except the word “cheese.” Worst of all? The ladder accident was Pet’s fault.
She’s determined to fix things—but how? Good old-fashioned grit…and maybe a little bit of magic.
When a neighbor recites a poem about an ancient coin hidden somewhere on the grounds of the local abbey, Pet forms a plan. With her brother, a borrowed chicken, and a stolen pony, Pet runs away from home. If she can find the coin, Daddy can have his surgery, Momma can stop her constant working, and Simon might speak again. But Pet isn't the only one who wants the coin…which means searching for it is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

My opinion: There are solid elements at play here. It's a quest for a treasure - a special coin that can solve all of this family's problems. We have a lurking villain and a charming, if somewhat strange, assortment of details. Nuns, taffy, a chicken, a treasure, and chainsaw carving are not things we expect to see together but Nolte makes them work. It's the quest itself that gives me some pause. Because when Pet and Simon set out on their quest they seem to leave the natural world behind. They encounter a series of increasingly odd beings that tell them stories about their parents, shedding light on their past and the influences on their current situation. The journey feels far more symbolic than literal, even in the world of the book, and that creates an emotional distance that may make it difficult for young readers to engage.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley